


Bloodflower

by Ernzo



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cunnilingus, Emperor Kylo Ren, Empress Rey, F/M, Get in loser we are going to Chandrila, I promise they will have a lot of sex later, I'm sorry for so much plot, Just hold on, Oh no more plot, One-shot expanded, Oops there's actually a lot of plot, PWP, Porn With Plot, Proposals, Quickies, Renperor, Smut, like so much sex, quickies while you orbit naboo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-03-18 19:59:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13688766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ernzo/pseuds/Ernzo
Summary: They have been circling each other for months, and tonight Rey goes to him.A smutty Renperor one-shot because it is my favorite trope in this fandom.Now expanded to a short story!





	1. Surrender

**Author's Note:**

  * For [uselessenglishmajor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/uselessenglishmajor/gifts).



> I wanted to get this out of my system. I've been playing with this, as Renperor type stories are my absolute favorite, and it's been in my head and making it very hard for me to write for my WIP. It's explicit and smutty and I wanted to work on my writing when it comes to that because I have a habit of writing "non smut" that is very flowery and vague. This is very long and I almost didn't want to stop writing it because this Ben and Rey are a lot of fun to flesh out. I DIDN'T MEAN FOR IT TO BE THIS LONG. Almost 6500 words is A LOT. 
> 
> This is dedicated to the lovely uselessenglishmajor and all the others who know who they are from the comment section on her lovely story called Free to Fall. If you haven't read it, you absolutely should start.

It wasn’t the first time that she had ended up here.

But every time she left, she said it would be her last.

Taking up Ben’s offer to rule the galaxy together had not gone the way she thought, Luke had been right about that. But, sometimes expectations were better than reality.

He was a calm ruler. Calmer than she could have ever imagined, and he often reminded her that it was because she was there. She brought him peace and balance, kept him in check. And, while she brought him calm, he brought her a fire she never knew she could possess. He encouraged her ideas, taught her to demand respect from others, and she took it. Together they were balance.

But, the tension between them was turbulent.

There was something, but they never spoke of it. A look that lingered too long, a passing touch in front of the officers. Nothing that would seem out of the ordinary to anyone who looked at the Emperor and Empress of the New Galactic Empire.

For three months, they ruled together, making the galaxy a better place, but ignoring heat that simmered between them.

But they couldn’t ignore it forever.

The first time had been a result of fighting. They didn’t disagree often, but when they did, it could be enough to knock the  _Finalizer_  out of orbit. They had been discussing an uprising on Lothal, in his quarters, deciding what should be done, and it had turned to yelling, screaming. She had called him callous, and he had told her she was being too soft. Their faces were too close to each other, there was too much passion flowing between them. The bond crackled, surging around them in a way that did not calm or dissuade them.

He kissed her. It wasn’t kind or tender. It was a punishing, needy release of tension. A fight to assert his dominance, to be right. Teeth and lips, hands grabbing roughly, fingers sliding through hair, tugging, yanking.

She’d found herself against the wall, his broad, firm chest trapping her as he took and took. She crumbled against him and gave him whatever he asked for.

But, as roughly as it had started, it ended softly, gently. It had been her first time, and he took surprising care, putting her needs first. Taking her in his arms, he had carried her to his bed, large and soft, sheets black and made of silk. She arched against his hands and mouth and then curled in to accept more of his touch, more of his body. The pleasure that he gave her.

When it had been over, he had moved to take her in his arms, and hold her, but she had sprung from the bed, gathering her discarded clothes and awkwardly offering a goodbye before leaving through the shared door of their quarters.

She swore to herself that it would be the only time.

She could tell that he had wanted to talk about it, the next morning when they saw each other. She felt guilty as she made it very clear that she did not want to talk about what had happened between them, but, this wasn’t meant to happen, she told herself. She was here to rule and make the galaxy a better place with him. She hadn’t come here to be with him.

The second time it happened, it was different. They had avoided being alone with each other as much as possible; Rey protecting her heart and Ben seemingly hurt and scorned by her unwillingness to talk about what had transpired between them, about what it meant.

But, there had been a peace treaty that they had to work together to draft. Endless hours negotiating, with others and with each other, they worked to resolve a dispute in a system gripped with civil war. They had been alone one night, hammering out details to bring to the talks the next morning, and the closeness, the quietness, brought the walls down between them.

He again had made the first move, pulling her toward him as she stood beside him, looking down at the holopad that they were working on. She allowed him to draw her in, sighing against his mouth in relief or resignation, she wasn’t sure which. He’d taken her, there on the table of the conference room, only having the patience to push the skirts of her dress up and untie the closure of his pants before he was inside of her. She moaned and writhed, desperate for him despite herself, despite what she’d told herself.

It had been quick, both finding their release easily, moving together seamlessly. When they both came down, Rey once again was the one to leave, but she lingered for a moment, allowing Ben to run his fingers along her cheek before he let her to disappear once more.

She ignored her traitorous heart.

This is the pattern that they had fallen into for nearly six months. He always was the one to initiate, and she would follow, but always the first to leave. No matter what happened, she never stayed with him. They never talked about what they were doing, and both of them seemed to come to a silent agreement that talking would only make it worse and cause hurt feelings for someone. They were content to pretend for those few hours each time.

But tonight, she stood at their shared door, debating. Wanting.

Today, he had met with his mother. Today, with her at his side, he had brokered peace with the Resistance. Today, they had brought peace to the entire galaxy.

And now, she would go to him for the first time.

Taking a deep breath, she felt the weight of what she was doing. She pressed the button to open the door.

She walked into his quarters, and found the lights dim. She glanced toward the bedroom, assuming him to already be in bed, but found it empty. Perhaps he had not returned yet.

Just as she was about to lose her nerve and retreat back to her own room, the door to the fresher opened and Ben stepped out into the room.

Rey was stuck dumb at the sight of him. His chest was bare, and it looked like it was still damp from his shower. His hair was wet, brushed back off of his face revealing the hint of his ears; too large, but Rey’s favorite part of him. He wore loose sleeping pants, and they hung dangerously low, causing Rey’s mouth to go dry.

_Perhaps his ears were not her favorite._

He had noticed her, but she was still too distracted to realize.

“Rey?”

Her eyes found his, and he walked toward her, calling a robe to his hand with the force. He slipped it on, allowing the front to remain open as he came to stand in front of her. He, too, realized the significance of her coming to him, tonight.

“What is it?” He asked, his voice low, concerned.

Rey said nothing, only stepping closer to him, and breathing him in deeply. He was warm and smelled like soap. She reached out, allowing her fingers to brush his bare chest, before pressing the flat of her palms against the broad expanse of skin she found there. She suddenly felt like she couldn’t draw a complete breath.

She looked up at him, and his eyebrows creased a bit in confusion before he leaned down, brushing his mouth against hers, his hands sliding over her hips. She allowed herself to deepen the kiss for the briefest of moments before she pulled away. Tonight, would not be like the other nights. She didn’t come here to leave at the end. She needed him to know.

 “I didn’t come here for this,” she whispered, and his hands fell away from her immediately.

“Oh,” was all he said, his face disappointed.

She hurried to explain herself, stepping closer to his warmth, her hands moving outward so that they slid under the opening of his robe.

“Wait, no. I didn’t mean it like that.” She took a deep breath. “I don’t want to run anymore. From this.”

He searched her face, his eyes dancing over every feature before settling on her lips. His hands moved over her hips again, firmly, before sliding upward to grip her ribs. “So, you did come here for this,” he murmured, his tone light. But, she shook her head.

“No. I don’t want it to be like before. Before, when we--,” she trailed off, unsure of how to phrase it. All she knew was that she wanted to fall asleep beside him tonight, and wake in his arms tomorrow. And every day for forever. It scared her, but she wanted it. She watched his face as her thoughts played through his mind, and his eyes fluttered closed as she pictured them, curled in his bed, touching and kissing in the early morning hours.

His hands flexed on her ribs and he pulled her to him roughly, his mouth finding hers, insistent and demanding before she could even steady herself and find the rhythm of his lips. She gasped into his mouth at the intensity, her fingers gripping the flesh of his chest to balance herself. He let go of her ribs, his arms coming around her back, hands gripping her shoulders as he drew her even closer, crushing her to him and pinning her arms between them. She let him ravage her mouth, panting as she tried to keep up. He groaned, needy and hot into her mouth and her stomach dropped, feeling the familiar heat build between her thighs when he held her and touched her like this.

He broke away, his lips swollen and glistening as he stared at her, almost as if he wasn’t sure that she was real.  He reached down, his large hands splaying over the skin of her bottom, gripping tightly before lifting her easily, and she brought her legs around his hips. Her fingers dove into his hair, wet and soft, and she brought her mouth crashing down to his again. He groaned, his hands gripping harder, hard enough to bruise, and his tongue slid into her mouth. She met him, with equal fervor, and she became aware that they were moving; Ben was moving them slowly toward the bedroom. She clung to him, kissing him deeply, not faltering for even a moment, unwilling to separate her mouth from his.

When he reached the foot of his bed, he brought his knee to the edge, pulling them both up on to the mattress before he bent forward and released her back onto his dark sheets. Rey fell backward, dropping her arms away from him and letting her body melt down in the bed, gazing up at him with hooded eyes. His hands slid up her legs, starting at her calves and pulling her legs farther apart before sliding up past her knees and then gripping her thighs. His hands were so large against her, and his grip was so firm and reassuring that it made her tremble. His fingertips curled over the waistband of her pants, bunching them as he pulled them down, down, revealing her bare legs. He tossed the clothing away carelessly, and Rey dropped her legs open once more, baring herself to him. His eyes traveled over every inch of her bare skin before they stopped where she was wet and wanting for him. His tongue darted out to wet his lips.

Feeling impatient, Rey crossed her arms over her body and grabbed the hem of her shirt, yanking it up roughly and tossing it away, before bringing her arms back toward Ben. Her fingers slipped against his bare skin; he was too far away for her to grab on to him, and she grunted in frustration as he moved farther out of reach.

His lips quirked up at her as he slid his hands up the insides of her thighs, causing her to shiver and close her eyes.

“Patience,” he breathed before shifting down on the bed, his arms sliding over her hips to settle on her waist, and she felt him exhale against her skin of her thighs. She looked down and her stomach clenched at the sight of him, black hair and black eyes peering up at her from between her legs. Warmth surged between her legs where he lay waiting.

He hadn’t done this before in their previous encounters. They had either been too rushed, or too focused on satisfying a need to really dabble in much else.

 Now, the night was spread endlessly in front of them. They had no where to be, just here in his bed, with each other.

Keeping his eyes on her face, he brought his mouth down, and licked her once, from bottom to top, flattening his tongue and then pointing it as he reached where she was most sensitive. Rey could not keep her eyes on him, her head lolling to the side and her eyes rolling up into her head. She let out a low, deep moan and her hands found their way into his hair. He repeated the strokes of his tongue, over and over until his mouth covered her clit and he applied the lightest amount of suction before dipping his tongue into her entrance.

She yanked his hair and her legs made to close around his head, the sensations torturing her, and she fought the simultaneous urge to beg for more and to flee his ministrations. He lifted his mouth, and she felt his breath, panting against her skin, and his hands slid up the insides of her thighs before he spread his fingers wide where her thighs were the softest, and pushed firmly, opening her wider. She writhed as his tongue moved over her, maddeningly slow, building heat but bringing no satisfaction.

“Ben,” she panted, her fingers grabbing his hair tugging before loosening and soothing over his scalp, rolling her hips to find more of his touch. She was a mess, unsure of how to feel what she was feeling. She wanted more, but she wanted to punish him for the torture he was making her endure.

He hummed against her, and then slowly removed one of his hands from her thigh. She looked down at him, and their eyes met. He shifted and then she felt his fingers, lightly brushing against her. Her eyes rolled back and closed, preparing herself for a new onslaught of sensations.

“Look at me,” he demanded, his voice low, barely a whisper against her. She brought her eyes back to him and he pressed two fingers inside her slowly, pulling them back out after only an inch, before pushing them deeper, all the while keeping his eyes locked to hers. She twitched and convulsed, her eyes fluttering but she fought to keep them open.

“That feels so _good_ ,” she moaned, and she could barely take it as he started a rhythm, pumping his fingers in and out, but he did not give her a pace that could satisfy. She pulled harder on his hair.

“Please,” she begged, and he persisted, changing nothing, but continuing to lick and suck and work her up with his fingers. She had no choice but to pant and writhe against him, and hope that she could find release this way.

After a few more minutes, he slowed his movements, and withdrew from her completely, sitting up and back on his heels. She made a noise of protest, but barely had the energy to glare at him.

As she stared at him, she licked her lips and forgot to be angry.

His hair had mostly dried after his shower, the ends kicking up and messy from her hands. His lips were shiny, and she realized with a groan that they were slick from her. His abdomen flexed with each breath, and his pants had shifted low, held up, it seemed, by the obvious bulge of his erection. The corner of his mouth quirked up, and she saw that he too was enjoying his view. She watched as he brought his fingers, the ones that had been inside of her, to his mouth, and licked them clean while he stared down at her. She moaned and ran her hands into her own hair.

It was so _filthy,_ and she wanted more of it. She was so blown into her own pleasure that there was nothing that wouldn’t turn her on more at this point. Every move of his body ignited her more, and she wanted to consume and be consumed. She couldn’t stand it anymore.

She reached for him and he allowed it this time, dropping into her arms and letting his mouth roam over the skin of her breasts. She squirmed below him, her hands gripping and scratching on his back, and she tried to wrap her legs around him in an attempt to hook her toes in the waist band of his pants to rid him of them. She felt hot, wild, out of control with her need for him.

But, suddenly, she felt calmer. She had successfully removed his pants from his hips, so she wrapped her legs around his waist, sighing under the feeling of his mouth on her, feeling a calm warmth spreading through her. Her need burned, but it was sustainable, enjoyable and she slid her hands smoothly over the skin of his back. He licked across her breast and took her nipple into his mouth. She smiled and sighed.

Then it occurred to her.

“What did you do to me?” She mumbled, almost sleepy, but warm and still very aroused, rolling her head to the side to look at him.

She saw him smile, his lips curving up where there were pressed against the swell of her breast. He lifted his eyes to her but did not raise his head. His eyes were dark.

“Being learned in the Dark Side of the force has its perks,” his voice was gravely, and she trembled.

“You’re suppressing what I’m feeling,” she accused softly, but without anger, her fingers tangling in his hair once more.

He hummed and opened his mouth over her nipple once more, his tongue teasing before he tugged against the hardening flesh with his teeth. She moaned, and it felt good, but not overwhelming. “I’m not suppressing it, I just want you to enjoy it. You’re so worked up, you’re rushing. Enjoy it, Rey. We have all night.”

She groaned again, and he laughed.

He shifted to the side a bit, rolling and kicking his pants off the rest of the way before moving back over her, kneeling each knee on either side of her hips. She bit her lip, reaching out and brushing her fingertips lightly over his erection. He gasped and exhaled a shaky breath and now it was her turn to smile.

He snarled his lip at her, his eyes black. His hands slid along the outside of her thighs before gripping them and moving her down on the bed roughly, pulling her closer to him. She felt the hardened length of him brush her thigh and then lightly over where she was wet and wanting. His hands traveled up over her hips, touching and brushing every inch of her exposed skin and she arched against his touch, throwing her head back and drowning in all of the sensations around her. He was right; he had allowed her to enjoy without being overwhelmed, whatever he did. She stretched her arms over her head and closed her eyes, feeling him touching and exploring every inch that he could, learning every curve and dip of her skin.

“I’ve wanted you for so long,” he whispered, his palm sliding over her ribs and down to her hip.

 She smiled, eyes still closed and wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling him press his erection more firmly between her legs. “You’ve had me.”

He shifted above her, and she opened her eyes as he moved, aligning his face with hers, their stomachs brushing. He brought his hand to cup her face, his fingers sliding into her hair.

“No. I’ve wanted _you._  I wanted you in my bed every night, but I want you by my side. I want you in my head, in my heart. I’ve wanted you always.”

She’s caught off guard by his words. Her fingers brush over the scar that mars his handsome face. “You have me,” is all she can think to say.

His mouth is on hers, rough and searching, his tongue asking for permission. She granted it immediately, sliding her own out to meet his. Their mouths tangle, and their breathing becomes labored once more. He’s pressing her down into the bed with his chest, losing himself in her, shifting his hips over hers, rocking his erection against her thigh. “Ben,” she breathed, and she wants him.

He pulled back, settling on his heels once more and pulled her closer, his hand reaching down to stroke himself and then he’s tilting his hips forward and pressing inside of her.

She let out a long, low groan, as he pressed in, slowly, _so slowly,_ until he’s fully seated inside of her. Her heart pounds, and no matter how hard she tries, her breaths do not supply enough oxygen.

His hand slid away from where they are joined, up her body before stopping, his palm flat, fingers splayed on the flat skin between her breasts. His other hand gripped her hip, his fingers pressed deeply into the flesh of her ass. His eyes found hers again and then he rocked his hips once.

“ _Yes_ ,” Rey moaned, her hand grabbing the wrist of the hand on her chest. This is what she wanted. She wanted to be consumed. 

He rocked again, and the pace he sets is once again enough to make her crazy. He dropped his head back, his eyes rolling toward the ceiling, giving over to the sensations of being inside her again. She looked up, watching him, watching each roll of muscle that accompanies each strike of his hips, the bob of his throat as he swallows.

As she watched, the pleasure of the friction of him moving inside of her builds and she felt it again, the desperation, the need. The want.

He rolled his head forward again, his eyes moving to watch her breasts bouncing with each thrust, his tongue darting out to lick his lips as he watched. His pace is still too slow for Rey, each thrust slow, calculated.

She can’t ignore the frenzy anymore, and he cannot suppress it.

Her hands reach for him, digging her nails into his flesh and pulled him forward. He dropped onto his elbows, sliding his hands under her shoulders, pressing their chests together and changing the angle of his hips. Her legs slid higher, tucking her knees against his ribs.

“Please,” she begged again, “I can’t take it anymore. I need it. I need you.”

He groaned and buried his face into her neck. But, still, his hips roll slowly. He gripped her tighter.

She pressed her mouth to his shoulder, moaning and sighing as the pleasure rolled over her. It was so, so good, but she didn’t think she could endure it much longer before she simply evaporated. The feel of skin, slick and sliding, his smell, the heat from his breath, the burning between her thighs, the stretch of him filling her. She was hot, too hot, sweating and bordering on delirium. She wanted more and more, and wanted to explode like a supernova. She wanted to take him with her into the event horizon.

Frustrated and overwhelmed, she moaned louder and louder, and then bit his shoulder hard enough to mark.

He cried out, from pain and pleasure, and she could feel his control finally, _finally_ slipping. The roll of his hips became faster, less calculated with each motion, until they were sloppy and disjointed.

The speed and the increased friction sent Rey wild, clawing at his back and sending her climbing toward the peak she had been desperately seeking for what felt like hours. She dropped her knees open wider and he groaned “yes,” against her neck as he sought to dive deeper and deeper. Each thrust caught her just right, sending shock waves to her toes, lightning strikes across her eyes. “Yes,” she breathed back, her hands grabbing his hair and using her grip on him as leverage to roll her hips to match each thrust.

He pushed up, away from her abruptly, holding himself above her and quickened his pace, his hips snapping, and his teeth clenched. She ran her hands down his chest, before she slid them around to grab his ass and guide the movement of his hips. His breathing was harsh, loud, feral.

Higher and higher she flew with each passing minute until she felt the warmth begin to spread and her fingers gripped his flesh tighter. She began to repeat his name, over and over until a cry ripped from her throat, and she came, hard, her hands flying to his shoulders, his face, grabbing anything in an attempt to stay grounded. His hips slowed, each dip of his hips shallow as he worked her, drawing every sensation of her orgasm out of her, all while whispering soothing nonsense to her, because she couldn’t comprehend anything but the pleasure rolling through her body.

She was vaguely aware of him panting and groaning above her as she came back down, and she smoothed her hands over his shoulders. “Please,” he whispered, and it was a desperate plea to let him take what he wanted, what he needed.

“Yes,” she breathed, and arched her back as another wave of pleasure rolled through her as he began to thrust wildly, seeking his own supernova. He thrust deeply, too deep, once and then twice, and he cried out through clenched teeth, his eyes pinched shut and his hips erratic. She felt the soft pulse of him inside of her and she moaned in contentment, her hands sliding and gripping every inch of flesh that she could touch. After a moment, he stilled, and then collapsed on top of her.

They were silent for a long time, their breaths leveling out, their bodies growing cold as the sweat covering them evaporated. He pulled his head back and looked down at her, a punch-drunk smile on his face. He kissed her, deep and slow, and if she had any energy left in her at that moment, she might have been inclined to start it all over again.

After a moment, he pulled away and rolled to the side, shifting them gently to free the sheets from below their tired bodies.

He pulled the sheet up over them, and slid his hand down her side, before coming to a rest on her hip. He rested his chin on her shoulder, not wanting any space between them.

“I’m glad you came here tonight,” he said, his voice low and gravely, tired. She snorted, lightly, leaning back against his chest.

“I’m sure you are.”

His hand slipped down over the silk sheets, coming over her stomach and his hand slid up to rest on her sternum. He pulled her back to him even tighter. “That’s not what I meant, but I am very glad for those reasons, too.”

She shook her head and laughed again. “Why else, then?”

“The Board of Governors came to me, after you’d retired for the evening,” he began, matter of factly, but his voice still low. “They had a… proposition for me, for us. I was going to speak with you about it in the morning.”

Rey stilled, the happy glow from their lovemaking gone in an instant. It was not often that the Governors came to them for anything, and it usually meant something bad.

“What did they want?”

He was quiet for a moment, his fingers tapping lightly against her skin as he found the words.

“They very strongly _suggested_ that we marry, to secure the peace treaty that was signed today between the First Order and the Resistance. They believe it will make the people trust the peace between the two groups, seeing as you come from the Resistance. It would also secure your position as the Empress.”

Rey did not speak. She couldn’t not even fathom what words to say.

As the silence grew, she could feel Ben become uneasy. He shifted slightly, attempting to pull his arm away from where it was wrapped around her, but brought her hand over his quickly, gripping it tightly and holding it to her chest.

“Wait,” she breathed. “Just wait. I’m trying to process this.”

He tightened his arm once more and buried his face into her neck. She felt him nod.

Married. The governors wanted them to get married. It felt like their relationship had gone from zero to one hundred in a single heartbeat. She had only just allowed herself to want him, all of him, and now they were talking about marriage. A political marriage.

But, would it be? Sure, it was a marriage to secure a treaty, but that wasn’t the only reason that they would marry. He was the Emperor and she was the Empress. They ruled together, as equals, as a pair. One would think that they would be married to rule together. But, from the onset of this partnership, they had decided that it wasn’t necessary. Not that they had explicitly spoken about the nature of their partnership, prior to this evening, but they were equals in the force and they brought balance and completion to each other. The physicality between them had come later, as an afterthought, but it had always been there. And her heart, her heart sang at the thought of being tied to him. He was kinder and gentler, now, than he had been when they first met. A dark and scary force to be reckoned with, his sharp edges had smoothed for her and her heart had softened for him. She couldn’t image a life without him.

She just didn’t know if she was ready for the prospect of a life with him. Not yet anyway.

As her thoughts swirled through her head, she became aware of his lips moving softly, slowly, over the skin of her neck and shoulders. 

“Ben,” she began softly, flexing her fingers over his. “If I asked for time to think about it, would you be upset?”

He didn’t answer right away but gave her a small squeeze. “No, not at all.”

She nodded, sighing and settling back against him. They laid there in silence for so long, she wondered if he’d fallen asleep. When he spoke, his voice was small, vulnerable.

“Would it be so terrible, being my wife?”

Her heart clenched.

She rolled in his arms until she was facing him, bringing her hand to his scarred cheek. She bent her leg over his hip and brought herself as close to him as she could manage. “No. I just don’t know if I’m ready for what that means. I don’t know if I know how. I want to be, but I’m afraid. You and I— I don’t know what I’m doing.”

He searched her face before he whispered, “Neither do I,” and then he brought his lips down to hers, gently, softly. His lips lingered, and she found herself clinging tighter to him, her fingers,as always, finding their way into his hair. His lips pressed harder and became more insistent before he pushed her onto her back once more.

She arched and moaned and succumbed to him again and again, over and over.

Her body was lost to his touch.

But her heart knew where it belonged.

 

* * *

 

 

When she awoke, she found that she was alone. As she stretched her arms above her head and glanced around the room, her eyes caught on a glint of silver on the bed next to her. Her brows creasing, she moved to roll over to see what had caught her eye. There on his side of the bed, which had been made, the sheets pulled neat over the pillow, was her lightsaber. And, placed delicately over the gleaming silver of the handle, was a single, red flower. She smiled as she reached out and touched the delicate petals, warmed by his thought to leave her something so lovely. She wondered what kind of flower it was. Under the saber was a small slip of paper that told her to meet him in the training room when she woke up.

She sat up, and testing her legs, she stood slowly. She ached, and her thighs burned, but she did not care. It was a good kind of pain, a satisfying burn.

She made her way back to her own room and dressed in her training attire. It had been some time since she had worn these clothes, since she’d trained with her lightsaber, and even longer still since she’d sparred with Ben. A familiar anticipation dropped into her stomach, different than the feeling she had felt last night, but no less heady.

She made her way to the training room that he used, two floors above them. As she entered, she saw him practicing alone, already worked into a sweat. His chest was bare and glistening with sweat, his hair dropped over his eyes, stuck to various places on his face. He wore black pants, and his feet were bare. He dropped into each form like water, flowing into each different pose with ease and finesse. She watched him for a few moments, enjoying the way his body moved, watching the muscle slide beneath his skin. She felt heat in her cheeks as the images of him above her and below her, his muscles moving the same way.

As he rounded, and his new position turned him to face her, he smiled. He dropped to one knee, extinguishing his blade and resting his forearms on his bent knee. He was panting, his shoulders rising and falling rapidly as he fought to catch his breath. He quirked an eyebrow at her, having caught her staring.

She simply shook her head, her own smile finding its way to her lips. She walked toward him, stopping in front of him and sliding her fingers into his sweaty hair. He looked up at her, still panting a bit, and his eyes were warm, the familiar heat simmering below the surface. The bond between them ebbed and flowed, singing with balance and harmony at their nearness. She felt the raw passion that always surged from him and it made her tingle, knowing that passion was for her. As the thought passed through her mind, he grabbed her wrist, pulling her hand from his hair and bringing it to his lips, his mouth pressing into her palm. She sighed.

Without warning, quickly, deadly, he grabbed her legs and took her to the floor with surprising gentleness. She still let out a sharp noise of alarm as her legs were taken out from under her. He was over her in a heartbeat, a devilish glint in his eye that she was not used to seeing. She glared, bringing her hand up to smack him across his bare shoulder, but he saw her intent in her mind before she could act, catching her hand once more in his and pinning it above her head.

“Ah ah,” he warned, he eyes still glimmering darkly. Holding her gaze for a moment, she softened into him and he dropped his lips to hers. He let go of her hand, and she slid it back over his shoulder, her other hand joining and locking behind his neck.

“Good morning,” she murmured softly against his lips. He pulled away enough to drop down next to her on the floor, keeping one of his hands draped across her abdomen, the other propping his head up. “Good morning,” he repeated.

“Thank you for the flower, it was so beautiful,” she said, reaching up to brush the hair off his face. It was so easy with him, she wondered idly why she ever fought it. After everything they had shared last night, being near him like this, close to him, open and silly with him, felt as simple as breathing. She craved more of his touch, more of anything he would give. “What was it?”

He hummed, his eyes fluttering for a moment as her hands touched his face and hair. “It’s a bloodflower.”

Her eyebrows creased; she had never heard of such a flower before. “A what?”

“A bloodflower,” he repeated, his eyes suddenly serious. “They only bloom once a century on the Sith homeworld of Korriban. It’s lovely and exceeding rare. It reminded me of you.”

Her heart stuttered in her chest. “How did you get one?” She asked, her voice a whisper.

A smile slid on to his face, slowly, and he looked down. “Some secrets are meant to remain that way.”

She studied his face, and somehow, she agreed.

He reached up his hand, brushing his knuckle over her cheek. “Would you like to practice with me? It’s been so long since we fought the way we used to.”

She nodded, smiling again at the anticipation that bubbled up in her stomach. He stood, tall and towering over her and offered his hand to her. She sat up, slipping her hand into his and he pulled her small frame easily from the floor. He stepped back, igniting his lightsaber and swinging it first in a circle and the once across his body, readying himself, before crouching into an attack pose. She slipped off her boots and unclipped her own lightsaber, her newly constructed saberstaff, from her belt before she mirrored him, igniting it before bringing it back, flush with the back of her arm, the top blade humming behind her head and the lower blade pointing down near her toes. She straightened her posture, turning her body on an angle and holding her head proud.

He regarded her approvingly, and they both shifted in opposite directions in unison, circling like animals, prowling before the first strike.

“Have you thought what I asked you last night?” He asked, swirling his saber once more.

She kept pace with him, keeping their distance equal. She stepped gracefully, one foot over the other and tilted her head at him. She smiled. “I’m waiting to make my decision; I want to see who wins.”

She’s toying with him; she’s already made up her mind.

He smiled back, a true smile that caused his eyes to crinkle at the corners and he knows. They both pause and it’s him who lunges forward for the first strike.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obligation should be updated by Friday, Saturday at the absolute latest! I hope everyone enjoyed this little one-shot as much as I enjoyed writing it! See you soon. 
> 
> xox Happy Valentine's day!
> 
> PS: As I reread this to edit it before posting, I became very aware of how much Rey touches Ben's hair and I realize that I am very obsessed with Adam's hair and I also want to touch it a lot? So, same Rey. Same.


	2. Interruption

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. I should be writing the next chapter for my WIP, but I've been struggling a LOT with writers block. It's a bit of writers block, mixed with some IRL stuff, but, this had been bouncing around in my head, so I figured I would just write what I had inspiration for, and hopefully it would kick start the juices for my story again. And, many of you expressed an interest for a continuation for this story, so here it is. I'm not sure when there will be more, but there definitely will be, at least a wedding chapter and perhaps a honeymoon chapter. Let me know what you'd like to read for these two!
> 
> Also, this is 6800 words. For some reason, I can't stop writing these two once I start, and it's once again a smutty little thing, so I hope everyone enjoys it. 
> 
> if you'd like, you can follow me on [tumblr](http://darth-ernzo.tumblr.com/). I post a lot about Adam Driver and long emotional tags about Rey and Ben and feelings about Ben Solo and how he needs hugs.

When he returned to his quarters, he found that all the lights were out, the room was dark, only the soft glow of the panels on the walls brought any light to the space. He walked to the bedroom, and slid the door open just enough to peek in, seeing Rey, fast asleep in his bed, a data pad on her chest, as if it had been dropped there as she nodded off. But, his heart dropped as he saw her, dressed from throat to ankle in black lace, draped so alluringly across his silk sheets, waiting for him. He sighed.

He often came home later than her these days. _Home_. She had only started to sleep in his bed permanently for the past week, and it was still very new. They had not even alerted housekeeping, but it hardly mattered at this point. It would be obvious in only three days’ time that her adjoined quarters would be no longer necessary.

Sliding the door shut quietly, he made his way to the ‘fresher, dropping his clothes in the laundry chute and walking to the sink. As he brushed his teeth, he leaned his back against the counter and debated with himself.

Should he leave her alone, slip into bed and just fall asleep pressed against her warm skin? Or, should he take her up on the unspoken offer her sleeping form present him, wrapped in lace? He knew she would not mind being woken by his hands and by his mouth but just sleeping beside her was nearly just as intoxicating now that she was his.

And soon enough, she would be his wife.

Mind made up, he rinsed his mouth and retrieved his sleep pants from the cabinet and pulled them on before heading back toward the bedroom.

He opened the door once more, as quietly as possible, as not to disturb her, not yet. He walked to her, sitting himself gently on the edge of the bed and gazed down at his beloved. How long had he longed for her? How long had he waited, patiently and not so patiently, to have her here, truly his? He had longed for her when he shouldn’t have, when she was infuriating and out of reach.

As he glanced down, his eye caught on her hand as it hung over her hip, the stone of her ring glittering, even in the low light of the room. He had opted for an ur-diamond, mined from the moon of Nothoiin. He had gone himself to oversee the mining of his diamond, making sure that he picked the right one that would encapsulate the unequaled beauty of the creature who would wear it. She had been annoyed with him for going on a trip by himself; they were rarely separated as the figure heads of the new empire, and she was quite put out with him for insisting that he go on a delegation without her. He had promised that it was nothing and he would be gone less than a day, unable to reveal to her the real reason he was going off on his own.

The morning after she had come to him, and after she had beat him quite handily in their sparring match, she had agreed to the terms set forth by the Governors. They had both collapsed, exhausted from the previous evening and from their lengthy training session, on the floor of the training room, their cheeks pressed next to each other as their bodies spread in opposite directions. Their breathing was loud as they came down, letting their bodies quiet as their muscles ached.

“I wish that I lost to you because I was letting you win,” he griped, after his breathing had calmed. She laughed, a breathy noise, as she brought a hand to the side of his face that was not pressed to hers. “I wish that you were easier to beat.”

He hummed and closed his eyes, content to be next to her, connected to her through the force and warm from her presence next to him as well as in his mind. “So, you won,” he began, his voice trailing off, alluding to their dance at the beginning of the match.

She turned her head and pressed her lips to his temple. “I did,” she murmured against his skin.

He tried not to be impatient, he tried to let her answer in her own time. He knew this was a big deal for her, one that she did not go into lightly. Mainly, because it was something that she was seemingly being forced to do. He knew her heart, he knew how she felt, but he understood her apprehension, it was just something he did not share. He knew from the moment she had called him ‘Ben’ in the elevator on the _Supremacy_ , that there would never be anyone but her.

After what seemed like an eternity, she spoke.

“I accept the offer as presented by the Governors.”

His body betrayed him. He wanted to remain calm, and impassive at her answer, but inside, his stomach suddenly felt to big to fit inside of him. His heart was beating too fast, and he knew that she could hear it, could sense it.

He sat up, resting his elbows on his knees, his hands going into his hair as he collected himself. He did not want to seem too eager, if she was just agreeing for the sake of the galaxy, and not for him.

He felt her move it sit up as well, and she walked on her knees until she was in front of him before sitting back. She reached a hand to him, resting on his shin, and he finally looked at her face.

“Did you truly think that I would deny you?” She asked, a concerned crease in her brow.

He hated feeling so exposed in this moment, so vulnerable. He truly loved the connection that he had to Rey, being open and fluid with another person was so intoxicating, especially when he felt so strongly for her. But now, he suddenly felt bare and it was unwelcome. He never liked feeling weak or uncertain in front of _anyone_ , let alone her. He was her equal and he never liked feeling like she had the upper hand. Not in negotiations, and surely not in things like this. It was something that he still got hung up on, and he knew it was foolish. She had only just accepted her own feelings for him last night, when she’d come to him, and it had still left him with uncertainty, but not now.

He knew she could feel his thoughts and his turmoil, but he realized, thankfully, that she was not intruding on him as he sat in silence.

He reached his hand to her cheek. “I didn’t want to assume. It was still a decision that you had to make, and I would want you to choose what would be the best for you. It had nothing to do with what I wanted.”

“And I want you.” She smiled, leaning into his hand, before bringing her own hand up to cover his.

He ran his thumb softly over her cheek. “My mother will be ecstatic. She had always wanted a daughter.”

Her smile faltered as she looked at him, almost in shock.

His brow creased, worry coursed through him. Had he said the wrong thing?

“What is it?”

She shook her head, the shock on her face replaced with something akin to awe. “I just never thought that you would speak of her like that. You’ve never acknowledged her as your mother in all the time that I’ve known you.”

He pulled his hand back, away from her cheek, feeling exposed once more. But, she won’t allow it. Moving closer, she pulled herself into his lap, her leg swinging easily over his bent knee to settle herself against him.

He refused to look at her face, but she grabbed him by his cheeks and forced his eyes to hers.

“Don’t,” is all she said, before she pressed her lips to his. It was quick, and she had pulled back before he had a chance to react. “Don’t pull away. You aren’t allowed to do this anymore. We are partners, and we do not keep things from each other. Your fears are my fears, your joys are my joys. That is the only way I will be your wife.”

He stared at her, his eyes moving back and forth between hers, and he nodded. His arms wrapped around her waist, and he crushed her forward, overcome with emotion, overcome and giving in to everything that he had felt for her in the past year. She would be his; he would be hers. Emperor and Empress.

Smiling as he remembered, he reached forward now, lifting the data pad from her chest and causing her to stir. He turned, placing it on the bedside table as he felt her stretch languidly beside him, then she curled her body around him, her back curving, her head finding its way onto his lap. He reached a hand to slide through her hair.

“I’m sorry that I’m so late,” he whispered, and she only smiled up at him, her eyes droopy, her cheeks still pink from sleep. She snuggled closer, her eyes drifting shut again, and his hand slid down her neck, over the soft lace that covered her shoulder.

“It’s okay,” she said softly, “We will get a break in a few days. No work, no galaxies to run. Just you and I in the breeze on Naboo.”

He slid his hand lower, following the line of her side, over the curve of her waist before settling on the rise of her hip. He thought wistfully of them, honeymooning in the Lake Country, just them alone in Varykino, the beautiful architecture the back drop to all the things he would do to her body.

“Are you very tired?” He asked, his voice low. If she said yes, he would be content to curl up with her and sleep, with every inch of her body weaved with his own, and he would have her in the morning, waking her in the pre-dawn and making her moan until breakfast arrived. However—

“Not at all.” She peeked one eye open at him, snuggling her body impossibly closer, curving around him until her shoulders were draped across his legs. She smiled at him, and it was cheeky, teasing. He smiled back at her, leaning down to brush his lips against hers. As he pulled away, she followed, pushing herself up on her arm, moving in harmony with him, never allowing their lips to break apart. He sighed into her mouth, and his hand came up to cup her cheek, his forehead pressing against hers.

“You can say you’re tired, if you are,” he told her, “It’s very late.”

She only kissed him in response, bringing her arm around his shoulder and repositioning herself so she was straddling him, much like she had on that morning, when she had accepted him, the lace of her nightgown pooling in his lap. He ran his hands down over her ass, before spreading them fully over the now exposed skin of her calves.

“We only have a few more days of living in sin,” she breathed against his mouth, “Let’s make the most of it.” And she crushed her mouth to his.

He let out a small laugh, opening his mouth to hers and she took full advantage. She was rough, demanding, her hands tugging at his hair, her tongue insistent and wanting. She rolled her hips against his quickly, searching. He could only move his hands to follow where she was leading them, shocked at how fast she had woken up, and how she always seemed to be running toward something even faster than him.

Her hips were moving too fast now, and he was struggling to keep up with her. He pressed his hands to her hips, trying to still them, or at the very least slow them down, but she was too insistent, too wild. As  always.

“Rey,” he panted, pulling his mouth away from her and gulping air. How did she always render him so helpless? “Wait, please.” His voice was strangled, like he was dying in the desert without water. She was pressing against him _just_ right, her heat sliding over the length of him so perfectly, he was going to lose his mind. He did not want it to end like this for him, far too quickly and far too soon. He had wanted to take his time with her, and she was going to kill him.

He reached his hands under her nightgown, his hands sliding over the smooth, bare skin of her bottom, and he groaned louder, his head dropping back, his eyes fixated on the ceiling. She had foregone any kind of undergarment, and his mind reeled at what she had had planned for him when he returned tonight. Before he had come home too late; before she had fallen asleep. No wonder she was a ravenous lioness, taking what she had been impatiently waiting for.

“Rey,” he tried again, trying to shift his hand around her hip to free himself from his pants. If this is how she wanted it tonight, he would let her have it, and then have her more slowly, more deliberately after the edge was taken off. Her lips moved to his neck, kissing and biting and making his eyes roll back as he tried to fumble with the waistband. Her hand came down and grabbed his wrist, stopping him before growling, “No,” into his skin.

“ _Rey_ ,” he pleaded, one last time, feeling the front of his pants getting damp from her ministrations. “Please, just let me—” but it was too late, for her at least. He felt it and heard it and he barely held on as she went rigid in his arms, crying out against the skin of his throat. He cried out as well, his arms clawing at her tightly, her orgasm jolting through him like a shock of lightning. He pinched his eyes shut, waiting for her pleasure to recede before allowing himself to move. He felt her slump against him, warmth radiating from her as everything slowed. Her hands moved down his arms, her lips dragged over every inch of his skin. He felt like an exposed wire too close to water.

When she finally pulled back, his grip on his control was slipping away rapidly. Her eyes were hooded, a slow smile spreading on her face as she looked at him. She was almost drunk as her fingers came up, brushing against his face as her teeth found her bottom lip. “Sorry,” she breathed.

He couldn’t take it anymore.

He grabbed her by her shoulders, and flipped them, dropping her roughly against the mattress and covering her body with his. His hands were everywhere, squeezing her breast too hard, tugging at her nightgown too hard. He had the presence of mind to not rip the damned thing right down the middle, instead pulling it up and up until he ripped it a little too roughly over her head.

He stopped as he stared down at her, wondering for a moment that he could have hurt her in his haste, but as he discarded the garment over his shoulder, he saw her, eyes closed, a smile on her lips, her arms stretched out beside her, looking like pure, blissed out contentment. He stood abruptly, shucking his pants off in one motion before he returned to her, crawling over her body a starving man hunting his prey.

His lips touched every inch of her skin that he could reach. Her fingers weaved lazily into his hair, still sated and calm while he was still building and building. He grabbed and stroked, licked and bit her belly button, her hip bones, her nipples, her collarbones, her throat, until he sat back on his knees, grabbing her roughly by the thighs and pulling her hips to meet his. She laughed, soft like an exhale, running her hands along her body as he stared down, devouring every inch with his eyes. He rolled his hips, sliding the stiffened length of his erection over her wetness, his eyes rolling up as he teased himself, before reaching down with his hand to help guide him inside.

She was so wet and relaxed for him, he slid in so easily, it made him curse as he felt her soft heat envelop him.

“Hnng,” was all he managed to articulate as he slowly started to thrust in and out, drawing himself all the way out before canting his hips sharply to sheath himself back in. She arched, drawing her knees toward her chest and outward, giving him a deeper angle. Her fingers scrambled for purchase against his chest as his pace was determined and unforgiving. In no time, she was sighing and moaning with purpose once more.

He moved to press his chest to hers, his mouth finding her ear, his breath harsh.

“Is this what you wanted?” He asked, punctuating his question with a particularly deep thrust, causing her to cry out, her fingernails scratching his back. “Is this what you were thinking about while you waited for me?” He was too far gone at this point. He couldn’t close his filthy mouth even if he wanted to. His voice dropped lower. “Is that why you took what you wanted? Ahh, you did. And I love it. I love that you want to feel so good. I hate making you wait.”

She moaned an affirmation, and his teeth sunk into her neck as her fingers slid into his hair and tugged. Hard. Her hips rolled in time with his thrusts, their rhythm falling into harmony and Ben saw spots behind his eyes, chasing the feeling as it started to burn in his chest, until—

The door chime sounded, and Ben groaned, a deep, feral noise that made Rey sigh, and tighten her hands on his shoulders, as he moved to draw away from her.  

“Ignore it,” she breathed, her chest heaving and her lips moving oh so temptingly against his throat. She tightened her legs around his hips and tried to pull him deeper inside of her, rolling her hips to distract him. He tried, rocking his hips against hers again, trying to be lost once more in her but the chime sounded again, and he cursed, loud and long. He pushed himself up and slid out of her slowly, causing both of them to hiss.

“Your father would be proud of cursing so inventive,” she panted as he ripped himself from the bed, from her warmth. He would _murder_ who ever was at the door and couldn’t wait until the day cycle to bother him. He would do it with his bare hands, right there in the hallway.

“I will get rid of who ever it is, I promise,” he said, leaning down to kiss her, deep and hot before pulling back and locating his pants on the floor. Shoving his legs inside them, so angry that he couldn’t quite get his legs in easily, he finally pulled them up and frowned down. His erection was very poorly concealed in the material of the pants and he wondered briefly if he could will it down quickly enough to answer the door. He heard Rey giggle.

“I hope it’s not Hux.”

He glared at her without malice before he walked to the door. “Don’t move,” he commanded, taking a last lingering glance at her naked body, her hair wild and spread every which way on the sheets, her face, flush with want, pink and sweaty, her legs still dropped open, so he could see her bare for him, glistening where he had just been buried inside of her.

This was not helping the situation in his pants.

Pulling the door shut behind him, he stalked to the door of their quarters as the chime sounded for a third time. Punching the keypad with his fist, the door flew open to reveal the exact person he did not want to see. Hux.

“ _What_?” Ben seethed, murder still on his mind. He grabbed Hux by the throat with his hand and yanked him forcefully into the room, causing Hux to protest with a small noise of displeasure. “What could you possibly need to tell me that could not wait until morning?”

Hux huffed, pulling his coat down primly and leveling a gaze of great dislike at Ben. His eyes widened a bit at the sight before him, averting them quickly back the Ben’s face at keeping them fixed there.

“Well,” Hux began, sounded very pompous and over confident. Ben couldn’t help but smirk at how uncomfortable he now seemed. “I would have much preferred to deal with the Lady Rey, but she was not answering in her quarters, so I became alarmed and came to tell you.”

Ben rolled his eyes and took a step closer to Hux.

“We are getting married in three days, you idiot. Where do you _think_ she is?” Ben raised an eyebrow at the red-head. He watched with great satisfaction as Hux, taking in Ben’s appearance, and the very obvious reason Rey was not in her quarters, paled, and looked away, tugging on the collar of his uniform.

“Oh,” was all he said.

Ben snorted, the rage slowly slipping away, replaced by simple annoyance. “Yes. Oh.”

Ben walked toward his study and Hux followed him without needing to be told. The door closed behind Hux as he entered the study, and Ben, walking to the wet bar in the corner, took down two crystal tumblers and a bottle of Corelian whiskey. He poured two fingers into each glass, a bit sloppily, before he turned, sliding one glass across his desk toward Hux. Ben turned back, without waiting for Hux to pick it up from the desk, downing his tumblr before filling it once more. He turned again and this time, he sat down at his desk, leaning back in the chair and placing his feet on top, the tumblr of whiskey resting against his bare chest. His eye caught on a slip of paper on his desk, and he hastily moved it away from Hux, worried it would get ruined or wet from the glass.

He had decided, on a whim, to hand write his wedding vows, using the calligraphy set that he had received as a boy. He had found it, when Rey had taken him to Ahch-to, among his uncle’s things, and it had brought forth an emotion that he thought had been long dead. He had cleaned everything by hand, made sure the nib was replaced to one that he preferred, and he had painstakingly written on real paper his vows to Rey. He would read them and then maybe, if she liked, he would have them preserved in a frame for her as a gift for their wedding.

He hoped Hux didn’t notice him moving it, the last thing he wanted was for him to see it and start asking questions.

But was preoccupied with his own discomfort at the situation he found himself in. Ben watched as he picked the glass gingerly before sitting down on one of the chairs across from the desk, looking tense and uncomfortable, back straight and clearly unsure of what to do with his hands as he held the tumbler of whiskey. It wasn’t very often that the Emperor offered him even the slightest kindness, let alone offer for him to share a drink.

“Don’t get used to it,” Ben replied low, his dark eyes squinting at Hux. He sipped his whiskey, slower now, the mixture of agitation and arousal ebbing away with each sip of alcohol. “So, what do I owe the interruption?”

Hux raised the glass to his lips, drinking deeply, and twitching a little. Ben could see that he was fighting to recoil at the taste, determined not to look weak in front of the Emperor. Ben grinned.

“You told me, sir, that you wanted to be notified when the _guests_ began to arrive on the ship,” he sneered the word to show his intense dislike and disapproval of the guest list for the upcoming wedding.

“Careful,” Ben warned softly, still regarding Hux with dark amusement. 

Hux took another swig of his whiskey, in an attempt, Ben assumed, to hide a sneer in his direction.

“And why exactly, couldn’t this wait another,” Ben glanced at the chronometer on his desk. Two forty-eight. “Six hours? Don’t you sleep?”

Hux sat up taller, defensive. “I thought it would be prudent to alert the Empress that the _higher security_ guests had arrived first. She told me that she wanted to be informed straight away when they came aboard.”

“Hmmm,” Ben hummed, noncommittally. He doubted very much that Rey meant the middle of the night, but Ben was sure that Hux was a bit sweet on Rey and it amused him very much. “Hoping to catch her in her night dress? Why else would you feel it appropriate to call on the Empress in the dead of night?”

A splotchy pink blush crept over the general’s pale skin and he sputtered a protest. Ben raised a hand to silence him. Hux glared.

“Which guests have arrived, so that I can inform my lady when I return to her.” He desperately hoped that he could wrap this up quickly so that she was still waiting for him, in the exact position that he’d left her.

Hux was still glaring as he spoke. “The traitor, the pilot, and your _mother_. And, of course, that walking carpet was in tow.”

Ben downed the rest of his whiskey once more at the mention of his mother being on board. He slammed the glass down on the desk, causing Hux to jump. “Wonderful. What a happy time for all of us,” Ben sneered sarcastically. Rey’s conditions for accepting the Governor’s proposal and ultimately his proposal, included her friends and his mother being allowed to attend. It was not something he enjoyed agreeing to, but he would deny her nothing. “Post guards at their doors; we are at peace of course, but I wouldn’t want them to feel unsafe on this vessel, am I understood?”

The glare on the General’s face vanished, replaced by a look of barely concealed delight. “Of course, sir. I will send the orders right away.”

Ben stood and Hux followed suit, placing the unfinished tumbler of whiskey on the desk.

“Anything else, general? I don’t want to be disturbed again unless this ship is falling out of orbit into the planet.”

Just as Hux opened his mouth the speak, the door to the study opened to reveal Rey. Ben sighed as he saw her, disappointed that she had moved. He had so wanted to just slip back into their bedroom and slip back inside her.

She’d dressed in a black satin robe, long sleeved and pooling on the floor. He would never tire of her draped in black or sprawled over his black sheets. She dressed in black for him, for their empire. Ben licked his lips at the sight of her, and she quirked an eyebrow at him as she stepped into the room.

“A meeting? At this hour? Why wasn’t I invited to attend?” She walked to the desk and took Hux’s unfinished glass, tossing it back without allowing her lips to touch the rim. Ben felt his neck grow hot.

Hux was nearly falling over himself. “I am so so, sorry, my lady. I called upon your quarters, but I was not aware that you had moved your residence permanently yet. I had hoped to tell you about the guests’ arrival without _bothering_ the Emperor.” His voice was like honey and it made Ben’s stomach churn.

_What a kriffing suck up._

He felt the soothing calm flow from Rey as she smiled at the general. Ben knew that she was well aware of his soft spot for her, and while she tended to ignore it, sometimes she liked to make him squirm.

“Thank you, Armitage. I do very much appreciate your dedication. However, in the future, calling upon us at such a late hour should be discouraged unless there is an emergency.” Rey walked until she was standing between the two men, and turned her dark, heady gaze on Ben. “The Emperor hates to be interrupted when he’s trying to rest.”

Hux nodded fervently and Ben rolled his eyes. Hadn’t he just told the buffoon the same thing?

Rey turned and reached up, patting the general’s cheek lightly. “You’re dismissed, General. You can see yourself out, I’m sure?”

Hux had a dreamy, lost expression on his face as he looked down at Rey and Ben couldn’t suppress the snort that emanated from him. Hux’s eyes snapped to him before he stomped out of the study and then out of their quarters.

Ben moved to sit back down at his desk. Reaching for the bottle of whiskey, he refilled his glass, tilting the tumbler back into his mouth before staring at Rey.

“You moved.”

She smiled at him before moving around the desk to sit on it in front of him.

“I had to see what was taking so long. I waited enough tonight.”

Ben stood, huffing, before placing his glass and the bottle down on the desk, on either side of her hips. He leaned over her.

“Hux is always the reason everything takes too long,” he said, moving his face closer to hers. The whiskey was making him warm, too warm, and her scent, her nearness was doing him in.

She moved a hand over his chest, while the other reached for his glass. She downed the rest of it, just like she had with Hux’s glass and smacked her lips at him, her eyes growing heavy. She dropped it back on the desk with a _thunk_.

“You should be a little nicer to him, you know,” she murmured, voice low, tempting. “He’s a good dog when he gets treats.”

Ben smiled at her, and he moved his hands to part the slippery fabric of her robe, exposing her thighs. He ran his fingers along the outside before curling them over the soft flesh and pulling her closer to the edge. He leaned in, running his nose along her ear, and he heard her breath hitch. Her arms came around him and her legs found purchase on his hips.

“He only wanted to see you in your bed clothes, which you so kindly obliged him. Probably made his week.”

Rey giggled, and it was a soft noise, warm. The alcohol was working its way through her blood now, too.

She pulled back and looked at him, her fingers coming up to run through the hair that had fallen into his eyes. “He said the guests had started to arrive?”

Ben groaned and dropped his head to her shoulder, pulling her closer.

“Is there any way that we can talk about this in the morning? Now is not the time for us to talk about my mother.”

She tugged at the hair at the base of his neck, wanting him to look at her. He pulled away, his face still inches from hers, his skin boiling with need.

“Why not?” She asked innocently.

He pressed his mouth to hers roughly, kissing her thoroughly before pulling away.

“Because I need to make you come,” his voice was low. Rough.

She smiled. “You already did.”

“Mmmm,” he hummed, pulling her hips against his and the heat between her legs made his knees feel like they would give out. “But, I need to make you come again, and again, and again…” he trailed off, kissing against her throat, her jaw, before finding her lips again.

She giggled against his mouth, before pulling back.

“Let’s go back to bed, then.” And she moved to slide down off the desk, but he stopped her, his hips keeping her pressed against the surface.

He was warm and nearly drunk, and he was burning alive with his desire to take and take from between her creamy thighs.

“No. Here.”

Her eyes darkened, the smile slipping from her face as her arousal flooded through her like lava pooling from the gaping mouth of a volcano. He felt her so acutely though the force that it was almost too much to bear.

He pulled at the sash that was still trying to keep her robe closed, letting the slippery fabric drop open to reveal more of her skin. He slipped his hands inside, first touching lightly over her abdomen, then drifting up to cup a breast in each hand. Her head dropped back, with her hands coming up to find purchase on his forearms, and a soft moan filled the quiet of the room. He kissed her again, his tongue slipping inside her mouth and he plundered every inch, before pulling away and pressing her back, until she was laying spread out before him on the desk.

He bowed his head to allow his lips to trace over the smooth skin he’d exposed. His hands came down to grip her thighs once more, his thumb pressing into the corded tendons where her legs met her hips, so, so close to where he’d left her wet in their bed. His mouth drifted lower and lower.

“You’re sure that Hux is gone, right? He’s not listening at the door?” She was panting.

“You can tell just as easily as I can,” he reminded her, letting his tongue glide along the junction of her hips, his hands pressing deeper into her thighs and pushing her legs wider.

“Yes, but—” her breath hitched as he pressed a chaste kiss against her. “I can’t focus.”

He laughed and pulled away, his fingers reaching between her legs, circling slowly as he felt outwardly with the force to check to make sure there were no life forms lingering anywhere near their quarters. He knew that he should be able to tell without really checking, but something made him worry about Hux, panting outside the door to his study, listening as he brought Rey to pleasure over and over. It seemed like something the little rat would do.

Of course, there was nothing; Hux was neither dumb, nor suicidal.

He brought his hands to waistband of his sleep pants, pushing them over his once again awake erection and down until they fell to the floor, and he stepped out of them. He slid his hands up her legs, tugging her until she was flush with the edge of the desk, and then guided himself inside of her again. He sighed, pinching his eyes closed and focused on every detail of how she felt around him, burning the sensations into his memory. He heard her moan, and felt her squirm against him, splaying her arms over the surface of the desk, knocking the glass to the floor. “Yes,” she breathed, arching up, drawing him deeper.

Stars above, he would never, for as long as he lived, get used to how responsive she was to being filled by him. It made him dizzy, feeling how good it felt to her, and how it filtered through their bond to him. It only took a few thrusts before he was frantic once more, having been so close before, only to be interrupted. He moved his hand back to where they were joined, slipping his thumb against her clit to help her keep up with him, because he wasn’t going to last very long after being denied and forced to wait to have her. He said a silent prayer of thanks as he felt her climbing higher and higher, her hips rising to meet each of his thrust, keeping his pace effortlessly as he moved faster and faster. Each thrust felt like sweet agony and he waited for her, stroking his thumb the way she liked, in tight little circles, timed just right with each dip of his hips against hers. He could feel her, her arousal coursing through him in an endless feedback loop, mixing with his own and feeding her. He was so close.

“Please, Rey,” he begged for what felt like the thousandth time that night. He watched her, her head tossing back and forth, her arms splayed out, seeking purchase on something, anything on the desk. He watched, enamored with the way her breasts bounced with each snap of his hips. “Please.”

One more thrust, and one more circle of his thumb against her wet skin, and she was falling.  She came hard, crying out, her one hand gripping the only thing crushable on his desk: his hand-written wedding vows, crumpling the paper in her grip as she arched against him.

“Shit,” he groaned, his eyes falling to her hand. He knew, somewhere in his lust addled brain, that he should be upset, but he was too overcome to deal with it at the moment.

He moved his hips quickly, desperately chasing his own release until finally, finally, it shot up his spine and he fell forward onto his elbows, groaning, long and low, and his thrusts grew shallow as he drew the sensation out. When his hips finally stopped, he held himself over her for a moment before he collapsed, dropping his face to her chest, his knees sagging.

There was silence for a long moment, before he was brought back to reality by the sound of crinkled paper. He shot up, sobered immediately, standing and reaching his hand for his now ruined vows.

“What is that?” Rey asked, alarmed as he yanked it out of her hand. He smoothed it open, in an attempt to salvage it, but he saw that it was no use. He frowned, but all was not lost. He would just have to rewrite them, and then put them in a safer place. Somewhere they couldn’t accidentally have sex on them.

“Nothing,” he lied quickly, opening a drawer on the desk and shoving the crinkled paper inside. “Don’t worry about it.”

She raised an eyebrow at him suspiciously, but didn’t press the issue, and watched as he shut the drawer, before sitting up as he turned back to face her and resting her cheek against his chest. “I’m tired,” she sighed, and he laughed, bringing a large hand to cradle the back of her head before dropping a kiss into her hair.

“Hmm,” he hummed against her head, feeling suddenly very tired, too. “We should get you to bed so you can rest. You have lots of wedding guests to meet tomorrow.”

She pulled away suddenly and looked at him, incredulous.

“Me? What about you?”

He wrinkled his nose at her. “I don’t have the stomach for that kind of diplomacy.”

He laughed as her face became even more outraged. “You’re serious? You are the _Emperor_.”

He dropped his mouth to hers to kiss away her frown. “Yes, but you are the Empress. And you are much kinder than I am.”

She scoffed. “You just want to hide from your mother.”

He pretended to be offended. “Never!”

He saw her roll her eyes as he scooped her up off the desk, her legs going around his waist, his arms secure around her midsection. The robe she wore hung loosely around her shoulders, billowing around them, and Ben had to call on the force for the slightest guidance as he maneuvered them from the study back to the bedroom without tripping on the fabric as it dragged on the floor. He dropped her onto the bed once more, crawling over her as he tugged the sheets loose and pulled them up around them. He watched, his head on the pillow as Rey tugged at the robe, freeing herself from it and dropping it haphazardly to the floor before she joined him, snuggling into his waiting arms.

“You know,” she started, her voice sleepy. He was running his hands over her skin, unable to resist the temptation of her body, even now when all he wanted to do was fall asleep. She was just so soft and warm, and his.

“Hmm?” He prompted her to continue, pressing his lips to her hair.

“You’re going to have to deal with your mother at some point. You can’t ignore it forever.”

He sighed, burrowing his face in her neck, hiding from the reality of her words.

“I know. Just not tomorrow.”

He felt her sigh. “Fine, but you have to deal with everyone else tomorrow as they arrive, just like me.”

He groaned, but it was in submission as he rolled her over, pulling her onto her back, and burying his face in her neck as he covered her body with his.  She laughed as her arms came around his shoulders, wiggling to make herself comfortable underneath him.

“I love you,” he grumbled against her neck, meaning it, no matter how grumpy he felt about having to talk to smarmy dignitaries in the morning.

She hummed, tightening her arms around him. “I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please forgive me, I couldn't resist!
> 
> 1\. I love the idea of Hux being all moony over Rey. He's afraid of her like he's afraid of Ben, but he _likes_ it when it comes to Rey.  
>  2\. Ben hand writing vows for Rey needs to be canon or something because the thought of it makes me want to release doves or something.


	3. Preparation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, hello!
> 
> Here we are! I have finally, _finally_ completed the third installment of this little fic. As you can see, I have increased the chapter count by one ~~god help me?~~ because I decided that the task of writing this as one part was too hard, hence why I was so stuck on writing it. So, this one has a lot of plot, I'm so sorry... this is a PWP that has turned into a LOT of plot? but the next two chapters will be a little bit of context with business as usual in the filth department. 
> 
> Here is Rey's [dress](http://darth-ernzo.tumblr.com/post/174194016547/theartcalledfashion-ziad-nakad-haute-couture) and the crowns that her and Ben wear are inspired by a fan art that I CANNOT seem to find and it's killing me. I hope that when you see it in the text, you know which one I'm talking about :(
> 
> So I hope you enjoy what we have here, and I will see you on the next one :)

The tug of the ship dropping out of hyperspace jolts Rey out of a sound sleep. Groaning, she rolls to the side and peeks one eye open to look at the chronometer that sits on her side of the bed. 0637. 

She inhales deeply and stretches, her eyes moving to the still sleeping form next to her. Ben, splayed on his back, hair drooped over one eye, his face tilted toward her, and truly and soundly asleep. She smiles as he makes a small snuffle in his sleep, and she leans over, lightly and gently as not to disturb him, to push the wayward hair away from his face. It’s not very often that she wakes before him, so she takes in the moment to study his face, so soft and relaxed in sleep. 

In just under six hours, they would be married. Rey wonders how they had gotten to this point, after such a beginning. How could she have known that the creature who hunted her, cold and masked, would lay next to her in bed every morning, warm and soft, kissing her neck and whispering his love. How could she ever have known that she would tie herself to that man eternally, bonded to him for life, in ceremony and quite literally as had come to be with their bond. 

Rey sighs, lifting her hand to look at the ur-diamond that resides on her left hand, watching it glisten, even in the low light of the night cycle, remembering the day Ben had given it to her. 

_ She had agreed to the Governor’s terms of marriage, that morning after they had showered and dressed from their sparring session. They’d met with all of them, and Rey had agreed, accepting the notion of marriage to Kylo Ren to secure her position as empress and solidifying the newly forged peace and alliance throughout the galaxy. It had been informal and sterile, signing of contracts, arranging dates, and, to Rey’s chagrin, the task of planning a grand wedding to solidify an empire.  _

_ And, just like that, they were engaged. _

_ She’d endured a week of food tasting, flower arrangements, and dress fittings, and she had noticed that Ben had to begun to drift off, become distant. He would often take comm calls abruptly, or dash off for some meeting with an advisor, with little explanation. When she’d asked him outright, just as he was about to leave the room when his comm beeped, he’d kissed her forehead and told her it was for the wedding. _

_ Then, he took a trip. A trip without Rey. _ _  
_

_ This made her hackles rise, and her temper flare hot. He’d barely even told her he was about to leave before he was sweeping into his shuttle with a battalion of troopers and flying out of the hangar.  _

_ She’d had some choice words for him that day, comming him immediately after his departure to tell him what she really thought of him, her anger getting the best of her. She demanded to know where he had to go without her, when she was the  _ Empress _ , and what was he doing that she couldn’t join him.  _

_ He’d taken her anger in stride, like he often did, telling her that he would be back the very next day.  _

_ She’d slept fitfully, having grown used to him next to her in their short time together. But, as promised, he returned after midday the next day, drawing her into his arms and apologizing for leaving her so abruptly.  _

_ She’d forgotten her anger, momentarily, at seeing him again, feeling almost pathetic for being so morose without him for one night, but still, his behavior nagged at the back of her mind. Until, one morning, before the day cycle lights came on, she awoke to his soft hands and soft voice, urging her to wake. _

_ She’d dressed sleepily, mumbling questions about why he was waking her and where were they going. He’d only smiled and shushed her as they left their quarters, his arm around her as he guided her sleepy body down the corridors and into an elevator.  _

_ She leaned against him as they rode down, down into the ship, his fingers brushing along the bare skin of her arm, his lips resting softly against her hairline.  _

_ “Where are we going?”  _

_ He hummed into her hair. “You’ll see.”  _

_ She huffed out an annoyed sound. “I know I’ll see. I want you to tell me before we get there.” _

_ He laughed, his warm breath spreading over her hair and causing her to shiver. _

_ “We are going on a trip. Together.” _

_ She pulled back, looking up into his face. His eyes were soft, but intense, and he too, looked tired. Almost as if he hadn’t slept. _

_ "We’re going somewhere?” _

_ He nodded, eyeing her to gauge her reaction. _

_ “For what?” _

_ She hadn’t been briefed about any meetings or conferences that she was required to attend with him, or at least she didn’t think she was. The wedding planning was consuming much of her day to day activities and she was beginning to regret her decision as each day passed, if only for the extravagance that she was going to have to endure to be with the man she loved. She wished they could elope and tell the empire where they could put their fancy wedding. _

_ But, he just smiled at her and shook his head. “You haven’t missed anything, don’t worry. It’s more of a surprise for you. I know how hard you’ve been working and what you’ve been putting up with.”  _

_ She eyed him suspiciously, but stopped her protests, leaning back into his side and closing her eyes once more. _

_ When the elevator opened, Rey’s eyes opened to find they were in their private hangar, Ben’s shuttle ready and waiting. There was a battalion of troops, standing at attention around the shuttle, as well as two members of the royal guard. _

_ Rey smiled at them as they passed, and was surprised that no one, save the two royal guards, boarded the ship with them. It was customary for a full battalion to accompany them anywhere they went, for protection. _

_ He sensed her unease as she sat down, and he reached over to squeeze her hand, as he dropped into the seat next to hers. _

We won’t need troopers _ , the thought passed through him to her, his usual way of communicating when they were in the presence of others, and for some reason, the thought brought warmth to her belly. She raised an eyebrow at him. _

_ He smiled, his crooked, fish hook smile at her but shook his head as he turned back to face the front of the shuttle. _

_ The taller of the Royal Guard, Juroden, moved into the pilot’s seat and indicated their departure. Rey’s stomach fluttered, the unknown of where they were going and why, making her feel almost sick as the shuttle lifted and moved out the hangar doors. Ben, still holding her hand, lifted it to his mouth and placed a warm kiss on the skin on the back of her hand. _

Calm, sweetheart. Calm your mind.

_ She took a deep breath and relaxed, but as she did, she felt him in the Force for the first time. He was jittery, overwhelmed. And, she realized with a jolt and looked over at him quickly, nervous. _

_ “What--?” _

_ He just shook his head, his lips still pressed to her hand. _

_ The shuttled jumped to hyperspace, and after about thirty minutes, they dropped back from lightspeed above a very green looking planet. _

_ Rey stood, her hand falling out of Ben’s, and moving toward the window to look down at the planet below. _

_ She felt Ben come up behind her, his hand sliding against her lower back. “Chandrila, my home.” _

_ She felt his nerves spike, but she said nothing as the shuttle dropped through the atmosphere. Rey, as always, was overwhelmed by the sights of lush temperate planets. No matter how many she saw or stepped foot on, it was always a shock that somewhere could be so fertile and green, with water available so freely, and the wonders of rain and snow, all how they could occur in the same place, depending on the planet’s rotation. _

_ The shuttle came to rest outside of a large house, an estate of sorts, and Juroden indicated that they wait inside the shuttle with the other guard, Tionne, while he did a sweep of the building before they entered. _

_ This was standard at this point, protocol and safety, but it always seemed strange to Rey. On board their home, there was very little of this, because everyone and everything was so thoroughly checked, their safety was rarely in question. But, whenever they visited another ship, or planet, the security always cranked up and it was still something she was not used to. She was just a scavenger girl, who would care enough to try to hurt her? _

You are an empress, that’s why _ , Ben whispered in her mind, having been listening to her thoughts as he always did.   _ You are no longer a scavenger, you are the most powerful being in the galaxy.

_ Rey looked at him and found him staring at her with an intensity that often brought her to her knees. When he looked at her like this, it usually meant he was so overcome by his feelings for her, or that he was about to throw her over his shoulder and take her to bed. _

Maybe both _. _

_ Rey giggled as his face quirked up into a smile, as his eyes softened. She could feel him, still jittery and anxious and it seemed to be getting worse by the second. _

_ Juroden returned and gave them the all clear, and Ben tugged her by her hand out of the shuttle and up the walk into the grand building. With his long, hurried strides, Rey had to jog a little to keep up with him. _

_ When they entered, Rey gasped as she looked around in wonder at the interior of the building. Ben allowed her to drop his hand as she began to wander the grand entryway, paintings and statues adorning the walls, high ceilings and rich colors. It felt extravagant but homey, and warm. Rey had never been somewhere like this before and she found that she couldn’t stop looking. Every time her eyes swept over the details, she would find a new one. _

_ She was so engrossed that she forgot that Ben was even there, until she felt him, a strong pulse in the Force that jolted her back to reality. She turned to find him exactly where she left him, that same look on his face again. _

_ “Ben?” _

_ He stared at her, licking his lips before shaking his head. “I can’t do this,” he whispered, defeated. _

_ Rey’s brow creased, but before she could even ask,  _ Do what? _ , he was striding toward her purposefully. _

_ He grabbed her in his arms, his mouth coming down on hers quickly, roughly, and Rey grabbed his arms tightly in an attempt to stay upright. The force in which he was kissing her, holding her, was enough to knock her right off of her feet. _

_ She held him, and kissed him back, feeling his emotions rage and bubble within him. With great effort, because she didn’t want to stop and his arms were tightening like a constrictor and threatening to crush her, she pulled away from his mouth with a gasp. _

_ “Ben, what is it?” _

_ He stared at her for a moment before he dropped to his knees, his face pressing against her abdomen. _

_ “I wanted this to be different,” he said, his voice a lament. She ran her fingers through his hair and tilted his face back. When he looked up at her,  his eyes were sad. “I had a  _ plan _ …” he muttered, trying to bury his face back against her, but she held his hair tighter. _

_ “What are you talking about?” Rey asked, trying to probe into his mind, but found herself walled off from him. She could only feel his swirling emotions. _

_ She watched him as he sighed, and she saw him begin to rummage through his cloak. She dropped her hand from his hair as he shifted, and finally, he pulled something from within his tunic and looked back up at her. _

_ “Rey, I’m--” he started, but stopped abruptly and took a deep breath. “I had this plan, and I wanted it to be perfect, but I’m a mess and I just can’t do it.” _

_ He shifted his hand into her view and saw a small blue box in his hand. _

_ “What?” _

_ Rey couldn’t comprehend what was happening. What was he talking about? What was going on? _

_ He reached his hand up and opened the box, revealing a large, gleaming stone, nestled in the dark blue velvet inside. _

_ “What?” Rey said again, her eyes widening at the sight of the ring in front of her. _

_ “Will you marry me?” Ben whispered, his eyes wide and open, vulnerable. _

_ Rey looked at him in confusion. “Yes. I already said I would marry you.” _

_ She watched as Ben closed his eyes, almost as if he was in pain, but his lips twitched in amusement before a grimace replaced the smile. _

_ He looked up at her again. _

_ “Yes, I _ know _ ,” he said, patiently. “But, it’s tradition for a proposal and,” he waved his hand at her vaguely, a resigned expression on his face. “You know, declarations of love and then a ring.” _

_ Realization dawned on Rey like a bolt of lightning. _

_ “Oh, kriff,” she breathed, dropping down on her knees to join him. “Oh, Ben. I am so sorry.” She could kick herself. He was trying to be romantic and she was being an idiot. _

_ He was staring at her, his eyes dark, his lips parted. _

_ “Yes, Ben. Of course. Yes, I will marry you,” she reached up, her hands going to his cheeks. She leaned in and kissed him once, before moving her shaking hands to the box in his hand. _

_ Finally, he seemed to return to his senses as he watched her reach for the ring. He moved quickly, his large fingers pulling the delicate ring from the box and grabbing her left hand. She watched, her breathing shaky, as he slid the ring on her finger. _

_ “This is why I left, a few weeks ago,” he whispered, lifting her hand to his mouth and brushing his lips across her knuckles, below the ring. “I went to have this made for you. I picked the stone myself, and I watched as they cut it and set it. I wanted it to be perfect.” _

_ Rey looked down at the ring and then up into Ben’s eyes. So open and vulnerable, but deep and intense. She shivered. _

_ “It is perfect. All of this is perfect. I love you.” _

_ She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, her mouth finding his softly, sweetly, before he deepened the kiss, his hands coming to her waist, gripping roughly and pulling her flush against him as they kneeled together in the foyer of this grand house. _

_ Rey lost track of how long they knelt there, kissing, touching, whispering to each other before they were interrupted by Juroden, his throat clearing awkwardly. _

_ “Your majesties, we are ready for the trip to the grotto, whenever you are.” _

_ Ben groaned, and dropped his head to Rey’s shoulder, his arms dropping from her hair to wrap around her waist. _

_ “See,” he whispered in her ear as he lifted his head once more, “I had a plan.” _

_ Rey giggled as Ben stood, pulling her with him. “Juroden, that will no longer be necessary. We are going to remain here, in the house. We will call for you when we are ready to depart.” _

_ Juroden nodded, somewhat knowingly and turned to exit. Ben tugged Rey toward the stairs. _

She smiles, now, lightly, as she dusts her fingers over his cheek, so light, before she sighing, and forcing herself out of bed. The droid would be here at 0700 to start helping her get ready, and she still had to shower. She walks to the large window in their bedroom, hugging her arms around her as she looks out at the planet below.

It was green and blue, and Rey feels a sense of warmth spread through her. She would never get over how many lush, beautiful planets existed in the known galaxy, and she knew she had only scratched the surface of all the different ones that existed. She never wanted to go back to another desolate planet for as long as she lived, not when there were so many, like the one below, that offered so much more. 

The planet below was where they would be honeymooning. They were to marry in the largest cargo bay, in front of family, friends, and delegates from nearly every planet in the New Republic Empire. Many were already on board, and many more would be coming aboard in the next few hours, now that they were in orbit. Rey, however, was not pleased about the fact that they would be getting married in front of the full force of the military. She knew that it was a necessary evil, the fact that this marriage was going to be a union to strengthen the reign of both her and Ben, but she still didn’t like it. They may be marrying for the sake of unity, and for her title as Empress to be official, but it was still a real wedding to her, and marrying in front of General Hux and thousands of stormtroopers made it feel cold and forced.

She hears the bed creak, and then Ben’s arms come around her waist, hugging her tightly to his chest as she feels his nose press into her neck.

“Good morning,” he whispers, his breath warm and humid against her skin. His hands slip against the fabric of her nightgown, as he flexes his fingers over her, his lips pressing against the bare skin of her shoulder. “Welcome to Naboo.”

Rey hums, her arms coming over his, and her head dropping back against his chest. “It’s beautiful.”

“Wait until you’re actually planetside. We are going to my familial estate in the lake country. Green and blue and water as far as you can see.” His voice is still husky with sleep, and the way he was describing the planet is almost indecent, causing Rey to warm all over in anticipation of… something. 

“I can’t wait,” she whispers back, her voice breathy, and as he hums against her shoulder again, she can hear a touch of amusement in his tone. He knew. 

Reluctantly, Rey pulls from his arms. Time was ticking, and she needs to be showered and ready for the droid or she would never hear the end of it. She moves out of his embrace, or tries to, but his hands grip her forearms and turn her to face him. She looks up at him and smiles at the sight of him, his hair messy, and a slight crease from the sheets on his cheek. 

Sliding his hands up, softly over her arms and across her shoulders, they stop against her face, gripping her cheeks as he leans in, pressing his mouth to hers.

They don’t have a lot of time, but she lets his mouth move against hers for an immeasurable amount of time. Her hands finding his hair as he tilts his head to deepen the kiss, his tongue beginning to move against hers gently, insistently. She moans, bringing herself closer to his warmth, before reaching up with her leg, a silent plea for him to pick her up. 

He groans against her mouth, his hands coming down to find her bottom and hoisting her easily into his arms, as she wraps herself around him, mouth moving hot and sloppy against his. 

“How much time do we have,” he chokes out, as Rey moves her mouth frantically against his cheek, her hands completely ruining his hair. She glances at the chronometer quickly as she changes sides to kiss his neck and groans in frustration. 

“Eight minutes.”

Ben turns abruptly, moving with purpose to the bed, and dropping her rather roughly on top of it.    


“I can do that.”

He practically pounces, moving his body over hers as he fumbles to get himself free of his sleep pants. Rey tries to help, pulling up her nightgown and giggling softly at his determination. His fingers are suddenly between her legs, trying to work her open quickly before he slides inside, and Rey grabs his arm, trying to yank him away. 

“There’s no time for that, I swear I’m good.”

He growls against her mouth. “No, you are going to be late anyway, I’m not going to rush in the wrong way.”

“Ben,” Rey complains, “The droid will be next door and I still need to shower.”

“Don’t care,” he murmurs, kissing her roughly. “Tell that insufferable droid that it’s your wedding day and you’ll do as you please.”

Rey laughs, but it turns into a breathy moan as he slides inside of her, his fingers still pressing against her clit.

She grabs his shoulders, preparing to hold on for the onslaught that she knew was about to begin. Ben was amazing in a time crunch, and this was something that had transpired many, many times before. In conference rooms before meetings, when they only had fifteen minutes before they had to meet a dignitary, and one time, before a gala dinner announcing their engagement, he had fucked her in a closet outside the ballroom in the last moments before they entered. He had managed to make her cum without rumpling her hair or her dress, pushing her underwear to the side, with her skirt folded neatly over her back. He had been smug the whole night at the thought of his spend ruining her expensive underwear, as she shook hands and smiled demurely at everyone. 

He begins to thrust in earnest, Rey’s fingers moving into his hair as her back arches, her legs opening widely to allow him as much room as he needs. His fingers work frantically, and he’s already out of breath as Rey feels the familiar bloom of heat between her legs. 

“Damn you,” she breathes, almost incredulous that he could do this to her, that he could play her body so well, even though she knows that there’s no time to savor it. At least not now. She moans that the thought of the next few days, of them alone.

Her thoughts permeated to him, and he moans, too, the pace of his hips rolling perfectly. “What is it, sweetheart? Tell me.”

Rey simply shakes her head, focusing on the sensations, of each slide of his fingers in time with each snap of his hips. 

He swirls his fingers before pressing down, and Rey’s back arches off the bed as she comes, frantic, her fingers scratching down his back. He snarls, his teeth pressing against her neck as he moved faster, almost too fast for Rey to hold on, before he, too, comes, loud against her skin.

After a beat, she swats his shoulder, arching herself away from his mouth, still attached to her skin as he comes back to himself. “You bit me. On our wedding day. That better not leave a mark!”

He laughs. Loud and carefree, before shifting off of her, and she turns to look at him before rolling her eyes at his pleased expression. He squints at her skin before shrugging impishly. “The droid can hide it.”

Rey huffs, sitting up, glaring at him without any real anger. “That’s hardly the point.”

He hums happily, sitting up too, before kissing her shoulder. “I think we made it.”

As if on cue, there was a chime at the front door; Rey groans, and Ben laughs.

“This isn’t funny,” Rey hisses, jumping up and moving to the closet for her robe. “You need all of fifteen minutes to get ready, I have to go be tortured for the next four hours!”

He follows behind her, taking her into his arms again. “Only because no one cares about me. You are going to be what everyone talks about.”

Rey huffs, pushing herself from his arms, feeling self-conscious; she ignores his comment.

“What are you going to do with all of your luxurious free time, then?” She asks, moving from the bedroom to go answer the door.

“Well, I don’t have to masturbate anymore, so I don’t really know…”

The door opens with a hiss and the droid storms in, beeping indignantly as Rey glares at Ben, her mouth hanging open in shock. He smiles at her, a glint in his eye. 

 

* * *

 

The hours pass in a blur.

Visits from Poe and Finn break up the monotony of being plucked and pinched, yanked, squeezed, and very nearly burned by some scary looking devices that are put into her hair. After that she is pinned and poked until her hair is drawn back from her face while the length is left to curl over her shoulders.

They tell her of the various guests that have been arriving all morning, strange looking aliens, fat and grumpy dignitaries, and she giggles when they tell her of the large Gungan chief who had come aboard right before they came to see her.

“He was blustering about all everyone needs to come down to Naboo after the wedding is over. He said there’s a big party in Gungan City,” Finn rolls his eyes. “It’s underwater. How are we supposed to get there? And we would be soaking wet even if we could!”

“Where is Leia?” Rey asks, as their laughter quiets down. “I haven’t really seen her since she came aboard.”

“She said she was going to stop by later,” Poe says, as he moves to pick at the food in front of them. “I think she’s over talking to Cranklo right now.”

“Poe,” Rey admonishes, but she can’t help the grin that makes it way to her lips. “Don’t let him catch you calling him that.”

Poe smiles around a cookie, but Rey just shakes her head.

He swallows. “Should I refer to him as Emperor Cranklo? Is that better?”

“You could just call him Ben,” Rey says evenly, keeping her amusement in check. But, Poe just pops another cookie in his mouth with another boyish smile. “Nah.”

Soon, the droid is shrieking for them to leave, and they are both ushered out rudely as the droid squawks about the time.

When Rey sees her dress, as the droid pulls it from the wardrobe of her old bedroom, she is rendered speechless. She had seen it in phases, and then subsequently with each revision, but it had been weeks since she had last seen it, and surely not since it had been completed.

The intricate beading of gemstones and diamonds as they cascade from the shoulders, sheer black fabric of the sleeves, that give way to a long full skirt, covered in diamonds and reminiscent of the galaxies that litter the night sky. There are matching dips, front and back, that reveal the only skin in an otherwise modest design.

The droid helps zip her into the dress, and Rey has to take a deep breath before she turns and looks at herself in the full mirror.

She gasps as she takes in all of the detail, and she hardly recognizes the woman that stands before her. She, a scavenger from Jakku, was about to be married to the Emperor of the known galaxy. And, but marrying him, she would become them the Empress of that galaxy. 

And, she loved him.

She felt tears in her eyes as the chime on the door sounded again, causing the droid to screech yet again.

“Who is it?”

Rey knows that she has to be mindful of who she let in at this point, now that her dress was on and she’s almost ready to head to the hangar. The only people who are really allowed to see her are Chewbacca and…

“It’s Leia.”

Rey moves to press the lock for the door, and it opens to reveal Leia, dressed in dark blue, her greying hair in a long braid over her shoulder. She moves into the suite quickly, ushering Rey back with her hands.

“There are quite a few people lurking in this corridor; we need to get this door shut before some nerf-herder runs off and tells everyone what your dress looks like.”

Rey moves backwards quickly, allowing Leia to enter, and the door shutting quietly behind her. As they move into the room, Rey notices that Leia carries a flat box in her hand. She eyes it curiously.

Leia, her sharp eyes knowing, smiles, leading Rey to a small table in what used to be her dining area. She places the box on the table and turns to Rey.

“When Alderaan was destroyed, almost everything was destroyed with it. Almost. There were a few things, that were kept off world with some of the other ruling houses, and I have spent a long time trying to acquire what I could, to create a legacy. I found these, however, when I was a younger woman, not too long after I found out that I was pregnant.”

Leia opens the box to reveal a thin, tastefully ornate almost complete circlet, set atop a bed of black velvet. The crown curved around, but remained open in the front, coming to an end with sharp points. The silver material shone in the light, decorated with diamonds, rubies and onyx.

“There’s a pair. When Ben was born, I had hoped to pass these on to him upon the occasion of his wedding. For a long time, I wondered if there would ever be a time where I could pass these to him, and I lost hope for a very long time. I had always hoped that he would meet someone who would deserve to wear it, would deserve to be crowned with the legacy of Alderaan along with him, and now, finally, he has found that in you.”

Rey can hardly breathe with how overcome she feels. Leia simply continues talking, as if she is unaware of how fast Rey’s breathing has become, or the tears that well in her eyes and threaten to ruin her makeup.

“I gave Ben his earlier, and at first, he refused to wear it,” Leia gives Rey a withering look, which causes Rey to laugh a shaky laugh, that cuts the overwhelmed feeling from her chest. “But, I think he understood, eventually, what I was asking of him. What it would mean to me.”

She nods, resolutely, before she reaches to remove the crown from the box. She indicates for the droid, who zooms forward to help, fastening the crown to the back of Rey’s hair, the points coming to rest on her forehead just above her eyebrows. Rey crouches to lower herself more easily for Leia, as she adjusts it to sit on Rey’s head just so.

When she (and the droid) are finished, she draws herself up to stand upright once more. Rey’s hands flutter to the crown carefully, gently and she turns again to look at herself in the mirror.

Leia comes beside her now, her hands going to rest on Rey’s hips, and she too, looks in to the mirror.

“What do you see?” Leia asks Rey, her voice soft.

It takes Rey a moment to find her voice, and even longer to find an answer. She’s overwhelmed by what she sees, but she can’t help but feel like an impostor, even now.

“I see me, in a crown,” Rey offers finally, feeling shaky and uncertain, but she sees Leia smile.

She tightens her hands on Rey’s waist, shifting her a little as if shaking her.

“I see a queen,” Leia tells her, her voice warm. “I see a powerful ruler, beautiful, kind and fair. I see a queen who is the perfect counterpoint to her king; kind where he is cruel, gentle where he is harsh, firm where he is indecisive. You may not see it, Rey, but it is what the galaxy sees. It was what everyone sees every time you stand beside him, when he stands beside you. Never forget that: you are his equal. And now, you take vows before the galaxy to be his partner,” Leia moves, around Rey to stand in front of her. She takes Rey’s hands in her own smaller ones. “You share vows of love, and they are true; you are the luckiest of all.”

Rey’s eyes are watering in earnest now, as Leia tugs her hands down while leaning up. Rey understands, and leans down so Leia may kiss her cheeks, one, then the other. She pulls back, her hands now finding Rey’s cheeks.

“You are a vision, my son must spend every moment of his life proving that he has earned enough in this galaxy to ever deserve you by his side.”

The tears roll down her cheeks freely now.

“He does, Leia,” Rey whispers. “I promise.”

* * *

 

Rey sits alone, in a small conference room, adjacent to the hangar where everyone is waiting. Waiting for her. She’d arranged herself on a chair as best she could, the large plume of her dress making it difficult to sit easily. 

She jiggles her foot impatiently, worrying the ring on her finger as she waits for the signal that she is allowed to enter the hangar with Chewbacca. Ben had balked at the idea, but Rey insisted on having someone she had a relationship with be the one to walk her down the aisle. Ben had put his foot down at the idea of Poe or Finn, but Chewie, Ben hadn’t been able to find a reason to veto Chewie as well. 

There’s a knock on the door, and Rey calls for whomever it is to enter, too tired at this point to care who it is. However, she doesn’t need to worry, because the Wookie in question lumbers through the door, a bellowed growl in greeting.

He approaches her, and she stands, trying to fold herself gracefully out of her chair to greet him. When he comes to a stop in front of her, he reaches up and pats the top of her head affectionately.

“Hello to you, too,” Rey greets, a smile spreading across her face as she looks at him. His fur is shiny and flat, and he’s wearing what she assumes is formal wear for a Wookie. His bandolier is gleaming, and looks new.

He rumbles and tilts his head, one of his hands gesturing toward her and Rey smiles, feeling her cheeks warm as she looks down at her dress. “Oh, this old thing? Just something that I threw together.”

He chuffs a laugh and pats her head again, before continuing in a more serious tone. Rey smiles shyly. “Thank you.”

He nods, before turning to offer his arm, his head tilted in question.

Rey smooths down the front of her dress, her hands fluttering to her head again to make sure her circlet is still secure before she nods at him in return. She slides her hand into the crook of his elbow, his soft fur feeling safe and reassuring against her fingers. She looks up at him and smiles. “Ready.”

He walks with her to the door, before reaching his large arm up to bang on it, an indication that they are ready to proceed. It opens slowly for them, and they step into the deserted hallway together, coming to a stop in front of the large hangar doors.

Rey takes a deep breath and tightens her grip on Chewie’s arm. He purrs low in his throat, a soothing noise, meant to calm and reassure her, and places his free paw over hers as the doors to the hangar open.

He guides her in, steadying her on her shaky legs.  

Rey watches as hundreds of people rise, turning to face her as she enters. But, truly, the only person in the whole room she sees is Ben.

He stands tall, and dark at the far end of the group of wedding goers. He, too, wears a crown like hers, less ornate, clinging to the back of his head and fastened into two braids that lay flat against the side of his head, the thin silver glinting in the light. He’s dressed in black, like her, a long cape pinned over one shoulder, and ornaments decorate his chest to indicate his rank and station. He looks like a vision, too good, too handsome to be real.

She steps fully into the hangar, and comes to a halt at the top of the aisle, drawing in a deep breath as she looks down the long path to Ben. Their eyes meet, but she feels him through the Force, acute and overwhelmed, like her.

She smiles, letting out her breath and begins the walk to meet him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your patience for us to get here! I know I have been flaky with this story, but I appreciate everyone who still wanted to see it and would ask about it. It makes me so warm to know that people were talking about it and I never even knew that that many people knew or cared about this fun little love story I wrote on a whim. 
> 
> That being said: I don't know when I will be adding another part. I want to finish my WIP and I have a few things that I am working on slowly, including a fic for the charity anthology. But, I do have a few AUs planned too to keep us busy in the meantime.
> 
> xoxo


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